Sunday, February 18, 2007

And the collective IQ of America is?? Threeve.

So, when we're setting up a show, we have "empty stickers" that the exhibitors can use to label their empty boxes once they're done unpacking, and then we store them all and bring them back to the appropriate booth once the show is over so they can pack back up. This particular show is on two floors, so I have two colors of empty stickers: blue for the 5th floor and orange for the 6th floor.

So, both rolls are on my desk- and labeled. I actually wrote "5th Floor" on a blue sticker and stuck it to the table next the roll of blue stickers, and "6th Floor" on an orange sticker and stuck it on the table next the roll of orange stickers. It's not rocket science, right?

Not once, not twice, but THREE times today, I had something similar to this happen:

Exhibitor: Can I get some empty stickers?Jamie: Sure, what's your booth number?Exhibitor: 5431.Jamie: OK, 5th floor is blue. Here ya go- take as many as you need and we'll come pick them up.Exhibitor: So, what's the difference between the orange stickers and the blue stickers?Jamie: The blue stickers are for the 5000-booths and the orange stickers are for the 6000-booths. *physically indicate stellar visual aid here*Exhibitor: Oh, ok, so if my booth is on the 5th floor then I need the blue ones?Jamie: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, YES.

3 Comments:

Uncle Al said...

Sistah, don't even get me started. Just imagine what I deal with, since a huge percentage of my agents are over 60. I think the oldest one may be late 80s. Seriously. If you could hear the conversations when I'm forced to do computer tech support via phone.

I started to give an example, but it makes me too ill. Suffice it to say, they can't type in 10 letters I tell them without putting in a space, capitalizing something, transposing letters or something equally difficult.

OK, now I have to give an example, because I just checked my work email (who knows why) and had one from one of my most, shall we say, challenged, agents.

Background: we recently told them all that they had to quit using personal email accounts for business email, due to NASD regulations. I set up each of them with a {name}@churchbonds.com address so we could monitor their email, and for consistency within the company. I spent literally hours helping them get it set up with their own ISP, and it was brutal. Today I get this from Ben, who got hisname@churchbonds.com just last month.

From: churchbonds@msn.com:

Guys, I have opened this new MSN account strictly for bond business only.